Meditation Benefits for the Brain

Health Benefits of Meditation

Recently I came across an article in mainstream media that caught my attention and I thought it would be worth sharing with all of you. The article was titled "6 Natural Cures that Actually Work," and was filed under the Alternative Medicine section at msnbc.com. Of the 6 natural cures the article listed, meditation as one of them, and here is what it had to say about the health benefits and medical application of meditation.

The article suggested that meditation had proven effective for combating stress and anxiety, and it was also good for the health of the brain. With regard to the brain, the article indicated that meditation was good for enhancing memory and mental focus. For proof regarding these claims, the article cited the following research…

Ongoing research at Emory University in Atlanta suggests meditation can reduce feelings of anger and stress. And researchers using brain imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston learned that the cerebral cortex — a brain region associated with attention and memory — was thicker in meditators. The cerebral cortex thins with age, which could be linked with memory loss.

In the article Top 10 Benefits of Meditation, I gave my view of all that meditation can do for you, and it is nice to see science and mainstream society starting to get on board and realize the enormous benefits of this incredible spiritual practice.

Meditation undoubtedly is excellent for brain function and several brain researchers are now listing meditation as a must if you want to ward off all kinds of brain health issues as you age. Meditation can help with everything from Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, memory problems, concentration, awareness, etc, and the sooner you start the better it is for you.

[...] Specifically with regard to the brain, research has also shown that meditation is excellent for brain function, and you can read about this research in the article, Brain Benefits of Meditation. Also, the following yoga pose increases blood flow to the brain and is excellent for brain function and brain health – Hatha Yoga Pose for Brain Fitness. Finally, you will find a nice summary of techniques to help with brain fitness in the following article: Brain Fitness Exercises for Healthy Brain Function. [...]

Hi i’m 16 and I’ve been practicing the vipassana meditation technique since the past 6 months …they say observe your thoughts without making any judgments etc while focusing on your breath…this is what i actually do but it’s very difficult to still the mind….i wanted to know that if i continue to practice this technique will i be able to still the mind …i find this technique really relaxing and i get some pleasure in observing my thoughts too but i can’t experience the stillness..i meditate up to one hour,is it enough??when i don’t meditate i’ve noticed that i feel a bit strange(lost)….meditation is a part of my life now and to finish while meditating when the thoughts overcrowd my mind i start to visualize…can visualisation be done in this way too??i don’t know i can’t visualize myself getting money coz what i believe is that money is the cause of all the problems on the earth but instead i visualize myself being a great man spreading peace and love…this is the way everyone should try to manifest their desires. Thanks, Haren

[...] In this study the participants were required to practice and learn mindfulness techniques and incorporate them into their life for a period of eight weeks. This is of course not the first study into the health benefits of meditation and yoga, and also, we know that the benefits of these sciences extends far beyond just the treatment of stress and anxiety. Two articles right here on the website detail other research that have also indicated the marvelous benefits of these sciences (Brain Health Benefits of Meditation and Amazing Benefits of Meditation for Young People & Students). To enjoy such benefits, it is necessary to learn and practice these techniques though and a 2 month period is a pretty good time frame for that. [...]

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